Campaign to restore fire damaged Leyland begins

A campaign to restore the Friends of King Alfred Buses’ (FoKAB’s) fire damaged 1950 Leyland Olympic has begun.

Having been fully restored and relaunched in 2012, the bus was badly damaged in a fire last December.

A reasonable sum is available from the insurance settlement to put together the feasibility and business plans that will allow FoKAB’s trustees to take the final decision to proceed. A top-quality plan will be the starting point of a necessarily massive campaign to raise the funds to restore it, expected to be at least £500,000.

“We’re hoping to find one or more gifted people who know enough about vehicle restoration to be able to consider the wholesale rebuilding of this vehicle” – FoKAB’s chairman, James Freeman

FoKAB’s chairman, James Freeman, said: “We’re hoping to find one or more gifted people who know enough about vehicle restoration to be able to consider the wholesale rebuilding of this vehicle, while keeping as much as possible of the original. The plan comes first, of course, but then it will need somebody to take on the rebuild job.”